# Symbol for closed forum on frontpage.. **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 7, 2003, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbol-for-closed-forum-on-frontpage/159632 "2003-03-07T01:58:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aslan_of_Narnia)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbol-for-closed-forum-on-frontpage/159632/1 "2003-03-07T01:58:29Z")
Has a forum ever been closed? ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbol-for-closed-forum-on-frontpage/159632/2 "2003-03-07T03:10:40Z")
Well, there are a few that are invisible to everyone but Mods and other staffers, but I don’t think there’s ever been an instance where, say, General Questions was closed for some reason or another, while the rest remained opened. Is that what you meant? ---
**Author:** ![Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aslan_of_Narnia)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbol-for-closed-forum-on-frontpage/159632/3 "2003-03-07T03:13:03Z")
Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbol-for-closed-forum-on-frontpage/159632/4 "2003-03-07T03:51:36Z")
It’s something that comes with the vBB software, which the SDMB has never had occasion to use. For an example of where it’s appropriate, see the top and bottom forums on the front page of the [Pizza Parlor](http://thebruces.stormbirds.org/forums/index.php?s=) – the Marquee says what we’re supposed to be about there, and the Freezer is a storage place for valuable, extremely informative threads we don’t want to sink to the bottom of individual forum lists. Any Admin. and IIRC any Mod. can get in them to edit, delete, etc. if needed, but they’re read-only to the regular members. ---
**Author:** ![PurplePerson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@PurplePerson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurplePerson)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbol-for-closed-forum-on-frontpage/159632/5 "2003-03-07T04:12:54Z")
WOW! There are invisible threads. I take it that is so the Moderators can talk to each other since they don’t live in the same house. I always picture you living together in the same house. LOL :smack: ---
**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbol-for-closed-forum-on-frontpage/159632/6 "2003-03-07T05:47:06Z")
You spilled the beans on Fox’s next reality blockbuster show, **Purple**.😛 ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbol-for-closed-forum-on-frontpage/159632/7 "2003-03-07T13:18:53Z")
> [@](#): > > Yes. No. ---
**Author:** ![kabbes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e99b99/32.png) [@kabbes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kabbes)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbol-for-closed-forum-on-frontpage/159632/8 "2003-03-07T13:36:04Z")
[There used to be some closed forums alright.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?&threadid=35301#post671721) They don’t seem to be there any more though. (Link rather sweetly shows **bibliophage** requesting to become a moderator of one of those hidden forums. Got bigger fisk to fry these days, eh **Bib**?) pan ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbol-for-closed-forum-on-frontpage/159632/9 "2003-03-08T08:42:06Z")
**kabbes** is correct. Under the old software (UBB), when faced with a round of speed problems/storage issues/etc, a decision was made to archive some of the older threads into separate forums. The idea being that the threads would remain around for reading, but not posting. However, when the board converted to vB, it was determined that the speed increases that provided precluded the need for the archives, and IIRC the threads were returned to their respective fora. Or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbol-for-closed-forum-on-frontpage/159632/10 "2003-03-08T13:58:08Z")
> [@](#): > > Or something like that. _Actually_, anything that had been placed in an “archive” forum was lost in the conversion. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbol-for-closed-forum-on-frontpage/159632/11 "2003-03-08T14:41:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by PurplePerson \* > \*\*I always picture you living together in the same house. \*\* And, as you might expect, **UncleBeer** hogs the covers. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2003, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbol-for-closed-forum-on-frontpage/159632/12 "2003-03-09T00:46:46Z")
Actually, **Uke** , I always pictured you snuggling up to **TVeblen** , being co-proprietors of Café Society and all. 🙂 Is there a backup of the UBB boards still extant that those threads could be rescued from in some form or another? ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2003, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbol-for-closed-forum-on-frontpage/159632/13 "2003-03-09T01:18:29Z")
I’ve always pictured me snuggling up to **TVeblen** , too. But she’s over in IMHO with **Czarcasm** , so all I’ve got is **Eutychus** ’s bony butt, which is cold comfort on these bitter winter nights. The sad truth is that all 14 of us share one enormous bed during the scant hours **Cecil** lets us rest from our backbreaking labor. We take turns being the one on the end, who must get up several times a night to shovel coals from the scuttle into the Franklin stove. And I’ll wait for **Mister Blanket Hog** to come and settle your serious question.